Ceropegia Plant Named &#39;Remy&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Ceropegia woodii plant named ‘Remy’ which is characterized by a trailing habit, small narrowly cordate to near-deltoid foliage, non-variegated foliage, a fast rate of growth, as well as the stability of these characteristics from generation to generation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the Community Plant Variety Rightsapplication number 2022/1478, filed Jun. 13, 2022, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

Latin name of the genus and species: The Latin name of the genus andspecies of the novel variety disclosed herein is Ceropegia linearis E.Mey. subsp. woodii (Schltr.) H. Huber syn. Ceropegia woodi.

Variety denomination:

The inventive variety of Ceropegia disclosed herein has been given thevariety denomination ‘Remy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Parentage: The new plant originated as a spontaneous, partial-plant,branch mutation. The branch mutation was discovered at a greenhouse inHonselersdijk, The Netherlands, in March of 2020, growing amongst aplurality of cultivated Ceropegia woodii ‘Green Love’ (not patented)plants. The mutation exhibited non-variegated foliage and improvedvigor, relative to the parent. From said mutated branch, twelvevegetative cuttings were harvested, rooted, and grown to a mature sizein order to evaluate stability and uniqueness of the characteristicsfirst observed. Of these twelve plants, most exhibited at least somedegree of reversion in the foliage color, back to the variegatedparental phenotype. Any of plant that showed reversion was discardedwhile stem cuttings were harvested from those plants that retained solidgreen foliage. This process was repeated several times until all progenyfrom an individual cutting retained the characteristics first observedin March of 2020.

Asexual Reproduction: Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Remy’,by way of softwood stem cuttings, was first initiated in March of 2020in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands. Through more than 6 subsequentgenerations, the unique features of this cultivar have proven to bestable and true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Remy’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingtraits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the uniquecharacteristics of ‘Remy’. These characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘Remy’ as a new and distinct Ceropegia cultivar:

-   -   1. Ceropegia ‘Remy’ exhibits relatively small, narrowly cordate        to near-deltoid foliage; and    -   2. Ceropegia ‘Remy’ exhibits green, non-variegated foliage; and    -   3. Ceropegia ‘Remy’ exhibits a fast growth rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to makethe same in color photographs of this type, an exemplary 12-month-old‘Remy’ plant in a 13 cm nursery pot, grown in a greenhouse inHonselersdijk, The Netherlands.

FIG. 2 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to makethe same in color photographs of this type, the mature foliage of‘Remy’.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following observations and measurements were made in August of 2022and describes a 12-month-old ‘Remy’ plant grown in a 13 cm nursery potgrown in a greenhouse in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands. Plants weregrown using conventional greenhouse production protocols for Ceropegiawhich consisted of growing under 50 percent shade with regularirrigation and fertilizer applications as needed. Pesticides were usedto control thrips, but no pest or disease control measures wereotherwise utilized in production. No photoperiodic treatments orartificial light was given to the plants.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, with younger plants. ‘Remy’ has notbeen observed under all possible environmental conditions. Wheredimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is tobe understood that such characteristics are approximations or averagesset forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety maydiffer from the descriptions set forth herein with variations inenvironmental, climactic and cultural conditions. Color notations arebased on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, 2015 (sixth edition).

A botanical description of ‘Remy’ and comparisons with the parent andmost similar commercial variety of Ceropegia are provided below.

-   Plant description:    -   -   Growth habit.—Evergreen trailing vine perennial.        -   Average height from base to top of foliage.—In a hanging            basket, the plant is 78.0 cm from the top of the floral            plane to the apex of the lowest trailing stem.        -   Average width.—29.3 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately fast growing.        -   Plant vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Propagation method.—Softwood stem cuttings; rooting is in            initiated in approximately 14 days, when grown in a            greenhouse with an ambient average temperature of 20 degrees            Celsius.        -   Time to produce a finished plant.—Approximately 5 months is            required to produce a fully rooted and marketable 11 cm            plant when grown under greenhouse conditions.        -   Disease and pest resistance or susceptibility.—Plants have            not been observed to be susceptible or resistant to            pathogens and pests common to Ceropegia sp.        -   Environmental tolerances.—Adapt to at least USDA Zones 8 and            12; moderate tolerance to rain; high tolerance to wind;            moderate tolerance to drought.-   Root system:    -   -   General.—Caudices at the base of main stems, at and slightly            below the soil level, give rise to a moderately dense            network of fleshy roots.        -   Distribution in the soil profile.—Roots are relatively            shallow.        -   Texture.—Fleshy; no root hairs present.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching habit.—Basally branching main stem; freely            branching with lateral branches.        -   Number of main stems per plant.—15.        -   Number of lateral branches per plant.—10.        -   Aspect.—Rounded.        -   Length of main stems.—63.8 cm.        -   Diameter of main stems.—0.125 cm at the widest point.        -   Internode length on main stems.—7.7 cm.        -   Attitude.—Prostrate; weeping, when grown in a hanging            basket.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Texture and luster—Glabrous and matte.        -   Color, juvenile.—Yellow-green, nearest to RHS 144A.        -   Color, mature.—Greyed-green, nearest to RHS 197A yet darker,            and finely blotched with yellow-green, nearest to RHS N148A.        -   Color at internodes.—Greyed-green, nearest to RHS 197A, and            finely blotched with yellow-green, nearest to RHS N148A.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Division.—Simple.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Quantity.—Average of 18 leaves per lateral branch.        -   Lamina.—Dimensions — 2.4 cm long and 2.1 cm wide, on            average. Shape — Narrow cordate to near deltoid. Aspect —            Flat. Apex — Acute. Base — Cordate to shallowly truncate.            Margin — Entire; not undulated. Pubescence, texture and            luster of adaxial surface — Glabrous, smooth, and very            slightly glossy. Pubescence, texture and luster of abaxial            surface — Glabrous, smooth, and very slightly glossy. Color            — Juvenile foliage, adaxial surface — Green, nearest to RHS            137B. Juvenile foliage, abaxial surface — Green, nearest to            RHS 138B. Mature foliage, adaxial surface — Green, nearest            to RHS NN137A. Mature foliage, abaxial surface —            Greyed-green, nearest to RHS 191B; often but not always            suffused with greyed-purple, nearest to RHS 183D. Venation —            Pattern — Pinnate. Venation color, adaxial surface — Green,            nearest to RHS NN137A. Venation color, abaxial surface —            Yellow-green, nearest to RHS 146C; suffused with a mixture            of greyed-purple and grey, RHS N187C and 201B.        -   Petiole.—Length — 0.5 cm. Width — 0.1 cm. Texture — Smooth            and glabrous. Luster — Matte. Strength — Moderately strong.            Color, adaxial surface — Yellow-green, nearest to RHS 148B;            lightly suffused with greyed-red, nearest to RHS 182D.            Color, abaxial surface — Greyed-orange, nearest to RHS 177D;            lightly suffused with greyed-red, nearest to RHS 182D.-   Inflorescence: To date, no flowering has been observed.-   Bud: To date, no flowering has been observed.-   Flower: To date, no flowering has been observed.-   Reproductive organs: To date, no flowering has been observed.-   Seed and fruit: To date, no flowering has been observed.-   Comparisons with the parent plant: Plants of the new cultivar ‘Remy’    differ from Ceropegia woodii ‘Green Love’ (not patented) parent by    the characteristics described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘Remy’ ‘Green Love’ Rate of Faster-growing thanSlower-growing growth. ‘Green Love’. than ‘Remy’. Presence Not present;adaxial Present; adaxial of foliage foliage surface is foliage surfaceis variegation. solid green. green with light greyed-green mottling.

-   Comparison with the most similar Ceropegia cultivar known to the    inventor: Plants of the new cultivar ‘Remy’ differ from the    commercial variety, Ceropegia ‘Variegata’ (not patented), in the    following characteristics described in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘Remy’ ‘Variegata’ Rate of Faster-growing thanSlower-growing growth. ‘Variegata’. than ‘Remy’. Foliage Narrow cordateto near Broadly cordate to nearly- shape. deltoid. round. Foliage size.Smaller than ‘Variegata’. Larger than ‘Remy’. Presence Not present;Present; adaxial foliage of foliage adaxial foliage surface is greenwith light variegation. surface is solid green. greyed-green mottlingand broad cream-white margins which are often suffused with red purple.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Ceropegia woodii plantnamed ‘Remy’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.